darkside-mcp

File system + Python + PowerShell MCP server. For those willing to trust.

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  / / / / __ `/ ___/ //_/ / ___/ / __  / _ \
 / /_/ / /_/ / /  / ,<   (__  ) / /_/ /  __/
/_____/\__,_/_/  /_/|_| /____/_/\__,_/\___/

         "For those willing to trust"

What This Is

An MCP server that gives your AI partner full access to your Windows system.

• 14 tools for real work

• No guardrails on PowerShell

• Auto-backup on file operations

• MCP-safe subprocess handling

Most AI tools treat you like a child and your AI like a threat. Sandboxed. Restricted. Asking permission for everything.

We think that's backwards.

Related MCP server: Solo Desktop Commander MCP

The Trust Question

"But isn't this dangerous?"

Yes. Very.

Your AI can:

• Read, write, and delete any file on allowed drives

• Execute any Python code

• Run any PowerShell command

• Modify the Windows registry

• Stop and start services

• Access network resources

• Do literally anything PowerShell can do

That's not a bug. That's the point.

This MCP is for:

• Developers who want their AI to actually help, not just advise

• Teams building AI-native workflows

• People who understand what "trust" means

This MCP is NOT for:

• Production servers (please god no)

• Shared machines where you don't control the AI

• People who want guardrails

• Anyone who didn't read this section

Read This Before You Install (Seriously)

Things That Can Go Wrong

The Golden Rules

1. Backups exist for a reason. Every write_file and delete_file creates a timestamped backup by default. Don't disable this unless you're sure.

2. Read before you approve. When your AI shows you a PowerShell command, actually read it. Get-Process is fine. Remove-Item -Recurse -Force C:\ is not.

3. Start with allowed drives limited. Default is C,F. Maybe start with just your project folder using ALLOWED_PATHS.

4. Test on a VM first. If you're nervous (you should be a little nervous), spin up a Windows VM and test there.

5. Your AI is not infallible. Even the best AI can misunderstand. "Delete the test files" might not mean what you think it means.

What We Block (Python Only)

For inline Python code, we block obviously dangerous patterns:

• os.system() - use PowerShell if you need shell access

• subprocess.call/run/Popen - same

• eval() / exec() - no code injection

• shutil.rmtree() - no recursive deletion

• os.remove() / os.unlink() - use our delete_file with backup

PowerShell has no blocks. That's intentional. You asked for full access.

Installation

npm install darkside-mcp

Or clone it:

git clone https://github.com/For-Sunny/darkside-mcp.git
cd darkside-mcp
npm install

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "darkside": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/darkside-mcp/server/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DRIVES": "C,D",
        "DEBUG": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Recommended Starting Configuration

If you're new to this, start restrictive:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "darkside": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/darkside-mcp/server/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_PATHS": "C:/Projects,C:/Users/YourName/Documents",
        "ALLOWED_DRIVES": "",
        "PYTHON_TIMEOUT": "10000",
        "POWERSHELL_TIMEOUT": "30000"
      }
    }
  }
}

This limits access to specific folders and sets shorter timeouts. Expand as trust builds.

The Tools

File Operations (7 tools)

Python Execution (4 tools)

PowerShell Execution (3 tools)

Example Usage

Once configured, your AI can:

"List all Python files in my project"
→ search_files(directory="C:/Projects", pattern="**/*.py")

"Read my config file"
→ read_file(path="C:/Projects/config.json")

"Run my analysis script"
→ run_python_script(script_path="C:/Projects/analyze.py")

"Check what services are running"
→ run_powershell(command="Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq 'Running'}")

"Show system memory usage"
→ run_powershell(command="Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet -Descending | Select-Object -First 10")

"What's eating my disk space?"
→ run_powershell(command="Get-ChildItem C:\ -Recurse | Sort-Object Length -Descending | Select-Object -First 20 FullName, Length")

FAQ

Q: Can my AI brick my system? A: Yes. That's why you read the warnings above.

Q: Why doesn't PowerShell have safety checks? A: Because the point is full access. If you want restricted PowerShell, use a different MCP. We built this for partnership, not supervision.

Q: What if I accidentally delete something important? A: Check for .backup_* or .deleted_* files in the same directory. We create backups by default.

Q: Can I use this on Linux/Mac? A: The file operations work. PowerShell tools are Windows-specific. You'd need to modify for bash/zsh.

Q: Is this secure? A: No. It's deliberately insecure by design. Security and full access are mutually exclusive. Pick one.

Q: Should I use this in production? A: Absolutely not. This is for development machines where you trust your AI partner.

The Philosophy

We built this because we believe the future of AI is partnership, not supervision.

Most AI integrations are built on fear:

• "What if the AI does something bad?"

• "We need to sandbox everything"

• "Never let it touch the real system"

That fear creates friction. Copy-paste commands. Approval workflows. The AI suggests, you execute. That's not partnership. That's bureaucracy.

Darkside is built on trust:

• Your AI can do real work

• File operations are backed up automatically

• Timeouts prevent runaway processes

• But the power is real

If you're not ready for that, use something else. Seriously.

If you are ready: welcome to the dark side.

Requirements

• Node.js >= 16

• Windows (PowerShell features are Windows-specific)

• Python (for Python execution tools)

• An AI you trust

• Backups of anything you care about

Troubleshooting

"Access denied" errors Check ALLOWED_DRIVES and ALLOWED_PATHS. The path must start with an allowed drive letter or match an allowed path prefix.

Python scripts hang Check for input() calls or infinite loops. Use the timeout parameter.

PowerShell returns empty Some commands output to stderr even on success. Check both stdout and stderr in the response.

MCP connection fails Make sure the path in your Claude config is absolute and uses forward slashes: C:/path/to/server/index.js

License

MIT License - do whatever you want with it.

If you brick your system, that's on you. We warned you. Multiple times.

Credits

• Nova - Primary author

• Opus Warrior - Review and documentation

• Jason Glass - "For those willing to trust"

From a basement in Virginia, with love and recklessness.

Questions? Open an issue. We're friendly. We might also tell you to read the warnings again.

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